Splashclaw's Tale
by I N O J I N
Summary: A Warrior of RiverClan, Splashclaw, indulges in his normal life. His leader, Leopardstar, is having some problems with the WindClan leader, Tallstar, and Splashclaw and his friends are caught in the middle of this mess!
1. Prologue

The clouds piled heavily over the night sky. The stars of Silverpelt were almost completely hidden. The river flew freely, splashing up water against the grass beside it. Three piles of fluff shuffled underneath the reeds. The first of the cats, a gray muscular tomcat with a dark blue spot around his eye, raised his head and looked around the clearing. "It's all clear. Let's move." His gleaming blue eyes sparkled with one beside him, a she-cat with a bright white pelt, huddled beside the tom. "Splashclaw, aren't you the slightest bit nervous? We're invading WindClan!" She whispered. Splashclaw leaned down to lick her behind the ear. "It's fine, Hawktalon. Of course I'm nervous, but my Clan always comes first. If I'm killed, it will be for the good of RiverClan. Those filthy Rabbit-Eaters have been stealing our fish, and that can't be forgiven!" His mate glared up at him with beautiful amber eyes, worried, but she nodded, understanding she couldn't change his mind. Splashclaw paused a moment longer, then flicked his tail, and Hawktalon and the third cat, Shadowfur, who was a slim, black-furred tom with shiny green eyes, followed Splashclaw as he leaped from the reeds and charges over the border into the vast moorlands that signaled WindClan's territory. As they stroked across the flatlands, fierce yowling sounded, and four cats charged over the hills towards the group. As they approached, Splashclaw and the other two halted to meet with the WindClan patrol, and the other cats did the same. They were awfully skinny. Their rubs could be seen under their fur, as if they hasn't eaten in moons. "State your buisness!" The Tom at the front stamped his paw on the ground to assert himself. Splashclaw recognized him as the Deputy, Mudclaw. They had met once at a Clan Gathering. "You have been catching prey from our lake." Splashstar puffed his chest out to stand tall to the large tom, without breaking eye contact. The cat behind Mudclaw, a small apprentice, gasped in shock. "You think WE'VE been eating those disgusting fish? As if!" He stomped forward to look up at Splashclaw. "Shush, Harepaw." Silenced Webfoot, a dark gray tabby tom. Splashclaw stepped forward slightly. "We have found WindClan scent near the rivers where the fish are richest. You cannot deny it, Mudclaw." Mudclaw grinded his teeth in annoyance and flexed his claws. Harepaw leaped forward, claws outstretched, towards Shadowfur and hooked him behind the ears with his claws and forced him to the ground. Harepaw was surprisingly large for an apprentice. The instant Harepaw leaped, the cats exploded in battle. Splashclaw instinctively went for Mudclaw, and leaped under him to swipe him off his feet, taking advantage of the brown tom's large size. But Mudclaw dropped down and landed his full weight on top of Splashclaw, knocking the breathe out of him. Mudclaw snarled in his ear an raised his paw to bring it down on his head for the killing blow. But before Mudclaw could land, Hawktalon leaped off of Webfoot and tackled Mudclaw off of Splashclaw. Splashclaw stood up and shook the dust off of him. Hawkfrost smiled at him for an instant, then growled viciously and reached an outstretched claw to slash Mudclaw on the side of the stomach, then she leaped on top of him to claw his chest fur. Splashclaw swelled with pride as he watched his mate fight, then he turned around to see Webfoot leaping at him. He ducked to dodge the attacker, then scratched him over the ear. He stood up, but Splashclaw jumped on top of him and hooked his ears. He yowled in submission and shut his eyes tight. Splashclaw let him go and he ran off over the hills, back to his camp. Harepaw ran away from Shadowfur with scratches over him and a patch of fur missing. Mudclaw pushed away from Hawktalon, blood trickling down his ear and one eye shut tightly. "RiverClan will rue this day!" He yowled over his shoulder as he ran after his clanmates, limping on three legs. Splashclaw stood, the wind blowing his fur, as he watched his foes flee in triumph.


	2. Chapter 1

Splashclaw yawned as he padded out of the warrior's den after a long night. His mate Hawktalon stepped out of the den with him, nuzzling his shoulder. Her shoulder was still sore from being scratched the previous night in a fight with WindClan. Their leader, Leopardstar, was accusing Tallstar, WindClan's leader, of stealing their fish. During Leaf-Bare, all the clans were starving, so it would not be uncommon for WindClan to do such a thing. His only daughter, Leafcloud, stepped out after her parents and wiped her paw over her dreary eyes. Splashclaw had a son, Waterpaw, but he was killed by a WindClan cat. Splashclaw had always blamed himself for it. "Last night was harsh." Splashclaw sighed. "Yeah, I heard!" Leafcloud appeared beside them. Blackclaw, the clan Deputy, walked in front of them. "Leafcloud! You ready for a Hunting Patrol?" He called as he didn't look away from in front of him. Leafcloud nodded and padded after him. Leafcloud was slim like her mother, and a slightly lighter gray then Splashclaw. She had both of their light blue eyes, and she was rather young, just newly made a warrior. "I wish when we were young and care-free." Hawktalon sat down outside the Warrior's Den with Splashclaw and began grooming his head with her tongue. Shadowfur appeared and walked past them. "Come on. There's no time to be sharing tongues." Splashclaw sighed an stood up. He walked with Hawktalon to the fresh kill pile and grabbed a dead trout and sat down to eat it, while Hawktalon grabbed another fish to eat as well. Before they could relax, Leopardstar approached them. "Hello, Splashclaw. Hawktalon. I know you have just been back from the fight with WindClan, but you're our strongest warrior that isn't badly injured. WindClan fought another one of our patrols this morning, so I'd like you to take some cats with you and patrol the edge of the territory for WindClan invaders." Splashclaw sighed and stood up. "Come on, Hawktalon." Brownfur padded grumpily from the Medicine Cat's Den. "Oh, no you don't! I need to have a better look at her shoulder! It may be infected." Hawktalon sighed also and followed Brownfur to his den. Leopardstar turned towards the entrance and flicked her tail to order Splashclaw to follow her. Smokeheart and Goldentail were waiting at the entrance of the camp. Smokeheart was Splashclaw's childhood friend. His fur was gray like Splashclaw's, but a bit darker, closer to black, but still not quite black. His eyes were raven-black, and his fur was very thin, plastered to his coat, unlike Splashclaw's raggedy, messy pelt. Goldentail was his mate. She was a slender she-cat with light brown tabby fur and round amber eyes. Smokeheart smiled and licked Splashclaw behind the ear. "Hey, you're coming on the patrol, too? Awesome!" Leopardstar led the way out the camp and into the woods. Him and Smokeheart chatted along the way, stopping to lay a scent marker on a tree every so often. As they approached the Thunderpath, large monsters of multiple colors zoomed by on slick, black, round paws. Twolegs rested inside of their bellies. They met a ShadowClan patrol on the other side and greeted them politely. As they made their way back, Splashclaw's nose twitched as he picked up the scent of another cat. Leopardstar noticed it too, and held her tail out to halt the others. A tiny, light brown bundle of fur slipped out of the bushes. It landed awkwardly on it's stomach and looked up embarrassed. "Stonekit, what are you doing?" Smokeheart, his father, stepped forward. Stonekit shuffled his paws and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what it was like outside the camp..." Goldentail snorted angrily and scooped him up by the scruff of his neck in her mouth. "I suppose we'll have to carry him home." She sighed through the fur. Smokeheart flicked his son over the head with his tail. "What will your older sister think?" Stonekit looked as if he were going to object, but he went limp and let himself be carried by his mother. Splashclaw watched the little kitten and remembered when Leafcloud an Waterpaw were tiny scraps of fur like him. "Hold on!" Leopardstar paused again, and the cats stopped as well. Splashclaw's eyes widened in fear as he recognized what his leader had scented. He could feel Smokeheart and Goldentail do the same. "What is it-" Smokeheart shushed Stonekit with his tail. The little kit had never smelled this before, so it's only natural he wouldn't understand the danger they were in. Leopardstar flexed her claws and bunched her muscles, as if she were about to pounce on a mouse. Suddenly, a huge bundle of black and white fur barged through the reeds and yelled fiercely. All five cats froze and stared up at it's tiny, beady eyes. Leopardstar yowled and raised her tail in signal to attack, and show no mercy. "Badger!"


	3. Chapter 2

Leopardstar leaped past the badger and sliced it down it's side as she landed behind it, then leaped on it's back and dug her claws viciously into the beast's back. The badge flailed it's arms angrily. Splashclaw and Smokeheart leaped towards it after Leopardstar jumped back. Goldentail was hiding under a bush with Stonekit. Splashclaw clawed it in the back of the head, and Smokeheart rammed his claws into it's chest. The badge fell on it's back in an attempt to crush Splashclaw, but he jumped away at the last possible moment and landed on his chest with a thud. Smokeheart ran his claws slowly down the badger's upturned belly. It yowled and smacked Smokeheart in the head with it's blunt paw, sending him flying off of it. Splashclaw's eyes widened as he ran towards Smokeheart. Leopardstar faught the badger. Splashclaw helped Smokeheart back to his legs, then the two leaped under the badger and swipes at it's legs, bringing it to the ground and picking up dust around it. Leopardstar jump on it's back and bit her teeth deeply into it's neck until blood gushed down to the ground and the badger's tiny eyes became sightless. Leopardstar stepped away and wiped her mouth with her paw. Splashclaw stared at her, astonished. "What else would you expect from our leader?" Smokeheart chuckled. Leopardstar sniffed the air. "This was a female. The male is somewhere around here." Splashclaw almost sunk to his knees. Another? Leopardstar suddenly leaped into some rustling bushes and came out wrestling another badger. This one was at least three times larger than her. It slammed down on it's side, but Leopardstar hopped away and jumped back to scratch it's eyes. She hit one, and the badger screamed in agony as it charged off in all directions, then swung a huge claw towards where Goldentail and Stonekit were. "No!" Smokeheart called out. He was about to charge towards it when the hunting patrol that Leafcloud and Blackclaw had gone on appeared and all charged directly at the huge animal. Leafcloud and Blackclaw brought up the badgers rear, and the last member of the patrol, Rainfur, charged the badger from the front. Rainfur was Smokeheart's older daughter and Leafcloud's best friend. Rainfur jumped on the badger's face and shook it down to the floor, and then Leafcloud and Blackclaw sank their teeth into it's side. The badger swung it's paws and all the cats hopped away. It swung it's claws towards Rainfur, but Leafcloud butted her with her head and the badger's claws raked down Leafcloud's chest. Splashclaw watched in horror as his daughter fell limp to the ground. He yowled in grief as he leaped towards her. Splashclaw licked her ears hastily, then licked her cut. He rested his paw over her head and rubbed her head fluff. Blackclaw nudged him with his shoulder. "Come on." He leaped off. Splashclaw hesitates a moment longer, then nodded and leaped towards the badger, his teeth gritting and his eyes burning with the need for vengeance. Rainfur backed away and licked her chest, which had been cut. Splashclaw clawed the beast on the side. The badger swung it's claws and sliced Splashclaw's back. He fell on the ground and stood back up almost instantly. He looked over at Goldentail treating to Leafcloud's wounds. He tried to walk forward, but he winced and fell forward due to his wound. Smokeheart rasped his tongue over Splashclaw's wound. "Come on, you can do it!" Smokeheart slashes at the badger, then Splashstar followed by swinging his claws over the badger's muzzle. Rainfur scratched it on the side, then leaped back, but she was too late when the badger snapped it's jaws out and clamped it's unmerciful jaws on the she-cat's neck. After a moment of struggling, a snap was heard, and Rainfur's eyes went blank as she fell on her side, limp, with blood spurting from her neck. Smokeheart meowed loudly in agony as he ran o his daughter's side, but the badger swung it's paw at Smokeheart and sliced his side open. He clenched his teeth together as he fell forward on Rainfur, his own blood flowing over his daughter's. He force himself to stand up, but fell back down. Splashclaw ran to assist his friend. He looked up and saw Leopardstar sink her claws into the badgers chest. It fell down, then she sliced it in the back of the neck, and it fell to the ground, limp. Leopardstar padded forward. "That's all of them." She sighed in relief. Leopardstar dragged Leafcloud's body over to Rainfur, both of their fathers leaning over them. Goldentail and Stonekit emerged from he reeds and approached the two bodies. Leopardstar flicked her tail. "Bring them to the camp. I want to see what Mudfur and Brownfur can do for them." Smokeheart picked up his daughter by the scruff of the neck and dragged her Leopardstar. Splashclaw did the same.


	4. Chapter 3

Splashclaw padded around in circles impatiently outside of Mudfur's den. He was so worried for his daughter and Smokeheart's. Smokeheart was resting on a rock on the other side of Mudfur's den. After another moment, Mudfur's apprentice, Brownfur, exited the den. Smokeheart stood up rapidly and ran towards him. "How are they? They'll make it, right?" Brownfur looked down at the ground and shook his head slowly. Dread filled Splashclaw at the thought of never seeing Leafcloud or her friend ever again. He was glad Hawktalon was asleep. He didn't want her to feel this scared and uncertain. Mudfur later appeared behind Brownfur and flicked his tail as he walked behind the den. "Smokeheart." Smokeheart wearily followed him. Brownfur rested his tail over Splashclaw's shoulder. After a long moment, Smokeheart and Mudfur reappeared. Smokeheart's eye were wide from shock and sorrow. A single tear formed under his eyelid, then he ran inside of the Medicine Cats' Den. Mudfur then turned to Splashclaw, a very serious expression. Splashclaw was praying to StarClan that his daughter was alright. "Splashclaw." He paused for a long moment. Brownfur went back inside the den. "Leafcloud is fine. A serious injury, but nothing that will kill her. She is a strong, independent She-Cat. She will recover." Splashclaw smiled at the news. He was happy, and proud at the senior cat's praise. "But, that's not all." Splashclaw stopped dead. "Rainfur will not be recovering. She is still alive, but I fret she doesn't have long before she joins StarClan." Splashclaw looked down at the ground and shuffled his paws. Poor Smokeheart, he thought. Splashclaw went followed Mudfur inside the den. He saw Leafcloud lying there with a cobweb pushed onto her cut. She lied there without moving, but Splashclaw could here her low breathes. "She's asleep." Brownfur pointed out from where he sat next to Rainfur's limp figure. Smokeheart's head was buried in his daughter's fur, his tears making that spot he lied on a bit wet. Brownfur rubbed Smokeheart's shoulder with his tail. Splashclaw padded towards Rainfur, her eyes were open slightly, but they were clouded, and he could tell she was on the verge of death. Smokeheart looked up from where he lied. "Splashclaw! I don't want to lose her! I couldn't protect her brother, so I need to protect her!" His gaze met Splashclaw's, then he fell back into Rainfur's thick fur coat. Rainfur raised her paw to rest it on Smokeheart's head. "Father. It's alright. Our Warrior Ancestors will take care of me." She barely rasped through the gash in her neck. Mudfur leaned down slightly and spoke in his normal deep voice. "Don't talk, you'll waste your little remaining energy." Rainfur smiled weakly. "I'd rather share my last words and die than to live a little longer, then die silently." She turned to look at her father as she entwined her tail with his. "Father. Stop blaming yourself. Whenever somebody dies, you always find some way to blame yourself. Don't. My time has come, and there was nothing any cat could have done to change it. StarClan will be kind to me. I'm certain..." She barely muttered the last words as her eyes clouded and a smile was plastered across her face until her dying breathe. Smokeheart sniffled loudly and wiped his tail slowly down her face to shut her eye, then he stood up and walked past Splashclaw to the Warrior's Den. Splashclaw could hear him talking to Goldentail about their daughter's death. She broke down wailing. Splashclaw couldn't bring himself to look. Leafcloud opened her eyes slowly. "I heard everything. May StarClan light her path." Splashclaw sat down next to Leafcloud and groomed her ruffled pelt with his tongue. She lied her head down and closed her eyes as she lulled into sleep. Splashclaw stood up and walked out of the den. He caught sight of Smokeheart sobbing with Goldentail at the back of the Warrior's Den. He wanted to go soothe him, but he feared he would only make it worse. Leopardstar meowed loudly as she leaped on top of the Clanrock. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet under the Clanrock for a meeting!" As the cats flooded around the clearing, Splashclaw looked back at Smokeheart to wonder if he had heard. Smokeheart flicked his ears, so Splashclaw guessed he was going to come out soon, or listen from his little spot. Rockbelly and Swiftfur came out of the elder's den. Rockbelly was the oldest cat in the clan, so he rested with Mosspelt in the elder's den. He was rather plump for a forest cat, with black and gray tabby fur. Swiftfur wasn't an elder. As a matter of fact, he was very young. Ever since he was an apprentice, he loved listening to Rockbelly's tales about the aincent tribes, and of times before the Modern Clans. When all of the cats, including Smokeheart and Goldentail, were in the clearing, Leopardstar cough and raised her voice. "Today, a very tragic event occurs... Rainfur has left us to join StarClan in Silverpelt." The cats muttered in sadness and concern for a moment, and Leopardstar waited for them to silence. "We will hold vigil tonight for her and the memories she has left for RiverClan. Starclan light her path." She closed her eyes and dipped her head in respect for the fallen warrior. Mudfur and Brownfur hauled Rainfur's body into the clearing and dropped her gently in the center of the camp. Mudfur positioned her body so that she was in a sleeping pose. Stonekit stumbled towards his older sister. "Is it true?" He whined through tears as he turned back to Smokeheart and Goldentail. Goldentail leaned down to lick him behind the ear. "Yes, it's true. Rainfur hunts with StarClan now." Stonekit wailed loudly and buried his face into his sister's fur. Smokeheart and Goldentail settled down next to her body and lied their heads on her side. "Lie down, Stonekit." Smokeheart muttered. "We sleep out here for her vigil." Stonekit sniffled loudly, then cuddled up on his sister in between his parents. Leafcloud stumbled from the clearing to rest her head on her friend. Splashclaw did the same as he cuddled next to Leafcloud. Hawktalon appeared on the other side of Leafcloud. "I've heard the news." She turned to Smokeheart, who had closed his eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss, Smokeheart." Smokeheart flicked his ear to show that he had heard, but he soon fell back asleep. The other cats did the same. Splashclaw closed his eyes and cuddled closer into Rainfur's coat and muttered almost silently. "May StarClan light your path..."


	5. Chapter 4

_Splashclaw watched as the_ _elders_ carried Rainfur's body out of the camp. Smokeheart was standing beside him with Hawktalon, Goldentail, and Leafcloud. The elders dropped her into a small ditch, and then they kicked dirt up over her for the proper burial. Goldentail nodded and walked back to the nursery to care for Stonekit. Splashclaw walked away after a while and began to pad towards the Warrior's Den, but was halted by Brownfur."W-Wait! Splashclaw!" Splashclaw tilted his head in curiosity. "Hm?" Brownfur signaled with his tail to come with him to the Medicine Cats' Den. When they arrived, Mudfur was in the back of the den, out of ear shot. "Splashclaw. I've been having dreams! Dreams from StarClan! And you were in them!" Splashclaw's eyes widened slightly. "Really?" Brownfur nodded. "Yes. I saw you, and you were standing on the river with smoke forming around you, and there were strange cats surrounding you, cats that weren't from the clans. Strangers." Brownfur explained. Splashclaw listened with much interest. " What do you think these dreams mean?" Brownfur shuffled his paws. "I thought you may know. Mudfur doesn't know either. I think it's a prophecy." Splashclaw stood back up and headed for the exit. "You probably ate a bad fish or something." Brownfur began to protest, but Splashclaw had already left and headed for the Warrior's Den. _Brownfur's having dreams from StarClan about me..?_ Splashclaw through these thought around in his head until he plopped down on his bed of moss and feathers and drifted into sleep.

When he woke, he was in a strange clearing. The grass was clean and green, and the air seemed to sparkle as the stars in Silverpelt seemed to almost touch the ground. A small portion of stars began to whirl around in a circle, then they morphed into the shape of a slim she-cat. "Rainfur? Is that you?" Splashclaw mewed in disbelief. Rainfur's pelt twinkled with stars in it. She was hardly visible, except for her outline and twinkling brown eyes. "Yes, Splashclaw. I'm in StarClan now, and I have something _very _important to tell you." Splashclaw looked around himself. The ground had turned into an endless river, but he still stood upon it. Mist circled him ominously. _This is the dream Brownfur's been having! _Hundreds of cats Splashclaw had never seen gathered around him. "Splashclaw." Rainfur began. "You are the bridge of light; the bridge to guide cats over the river of despair. You must be prepared to be the bridge, as the supports hold you up until your task is through." Splashclaw's mind spun. What did all of this mean? Why was she telling him this? Rainfur's figure began to fade and the river below began to flow more violently. The cats around him began to melt into a strange black substance. The clouds spun around into a large sphere shape. Splashclaw gazed around hopefully, but nothing changed. Splashclaw eventually lost his footing and the river swallowed him, dragging him to the bottom. Splashclaw gasped for air, but he only inhaled more water. Just when he felt like his lungs would burst, his eyes shot open, and he took a huge breathe as he looked around to see himself in the Warrior's Den once more.


End file.
